Blog

Can CBD Be Used to Treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder On the Rise

Although Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an extremely common mental disorder, it’s symptoms and effects are greatly misunderstood. What’s worse is that post-traumatic stress disorder is only associated with war veterans, and while it is true that people returning from war zones commonly suffer from PTSD, it also affects people from different walks of life.

Experts now agree that anyone can become afflicted with this condition, especially if they experience any traumatic event including sexual abuse, physical assault, childhood neglect, or even failure in business.

Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not easy because it isn’t as simple as taking a pill for a headache. Prescription medications such as Prozac and Zoloft do give patients some form of relief, but that is at the cost of several side effects such as nausea, loss of libido, and reduced appetite.

While there are several alternative treatments available on the market, they are not effective and don’t have enough research work backing up their claims. Recent awareness, thanks to the ever-growing popularity of CBD, has turned it into a new form of PTSD treatment. More doctors are now recommending CBD to their patients.

According to PTSD United, a staggering 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced a traumatic life-changing event at least once in their lifetimes. Of these, 20% develop PTSD. This number equates to 44.7 million people struggling with the mental disorder. The social and economic costs of PTSD treatment is immense and results in billions of dollars to the government.

CBD Is the Solution

Those who are living with PTSD will agree that it is a nightmare that keeps them on the edge of life. It gives them night terror and puts them on the verge of panic when they are in large crowds. It makes life miserable for people affected by PTSD.

Doctors are now prescribing opiates to combat PTSD. However, opiates are not only ineffective, but they are also dangerous.

This is in stark contrast to CBD, which has been pushed forward for a long time by proponents as a PTSD treatment. CBD is the non-psychoactive compound in marijuana, and unlike THC, it does not induce intoxication.

Studies have shown that patients suffering from PTSD have low levels of anandamide, an endocannabinoid also known as the ‘bliss molecule’. It is released when we exercise and engage in physical activity. CBD is a cannabinoid that replaces your anandamide levels, which effectively treats PTSD.

All PTSD patients have low levels of endocannabinoids and high densities of CB1 receptors. CB1 receptors help to deactivate traumatic memories; in other words, it helps you forget past events. An endocannabinoid deficiency, on the other hand, results in anxiety, stress, depression, and other symptoms associated with PTSD.

CBD acts on CB1 and CB2 to help patients regain normal mental function.

The potential of CBD in the effective treatment of PTSD is also backed by scientific studies, such as the one published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. While the evidence has so far been extracted from studies in animals, it shows that CBD has precedence in the treatment of PTSD and all its associated mental problems.